Biography

Dr. Sujatha Vuyyuru is a board certified Rheumatologist who has a passion for teaching and clinical excellence. Beginning her medical career at Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada, India, she went on to complete her Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU/MCV) in Richmond. Upon finishing her training, she was appointed as a Clinical Assistant Professor at VCU/MCV and served as an attending physician and preceptor in Primary Care and Rheumatology. In recognition of her teaching, she was awarded the Best Clinical Teacher honor by the Internal Medicine residents at VCU/MCV. In 2000, she established the Tri-City Arthritis Center in Chester, Virginia where she also practiced as a solo physician. Her desire to educate future physicians remained and she therefore remained active as a regular didactic instructor for Rheumatology Fellows at VCU/MCV. In 2009, she moved to Orlando and was appointed as a Staff Rheumatologist at the Orlando VAMC and was named Section Chief in 2015.

In Orlando, Dr. Vuyyuru has been instrumental in establishing a positive clinical learning environment. In recognition of her outstanding leadership, she was appointed as the Curriculum Director for the UCF/HCA and Florida Hospital Internal Medicine programs and most recently was invited to serve as the Inaugural Program Director for the UCF/VA Rheumatology Fellowship program. As a preceptor for medical students on the Internal Medicine clerkship and Community of Practice experience, as well as UCF/HCA Internal Medicine residents and Florida Hospital Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residents, she serves as an excellent clinical role model while integrating evidence-based medicine for the benefit of her patients. She now serves as Program Director for the Rheumatology Fellowship program. She has received the Outstanding Clinical Teacher award from the Internal Medicine department at Florida Hospital as well as several Blue Ribbon Awards from the Veteran’s at Orlando VAMC.

Dr. Vuyyuru has given over 30 invited presentations and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and Florida Society of Rheumatology. She serves as an advisor for the UCF Dean’s Advising Academy, interviewer and clinical competency committee member for the UCF/HCA Internal Medicine residency and member on the Orlando VAMC Medical Records Review Committee. She’s committed to providing Rheumatology care to those with limited access at Shepherd’s Hope and has dedicated a significant amount of time to the program since 2011. To honor all of her endeavors, Dr. Vuyyuru was recently awarded the Osler Award, in recognition of outstanding instruction in Rheumatology and for modeling compassion towards patients. Dr. Vuyyuru is a model physician who has successfully integrated her clinical acumen with opportunities to support the learning of future physicians.